


Room 313

by aukjennie



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, F/F, Interactive au, Mystery, Thriller, polls on twitter, strangers from hell au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:21:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29055066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aukjennie/pseuds/aukjennie
Summary: after receiving a job offer from park chaeyoung, kim jennie moves to seoul in hopes of starting a better life. what she did not foresee was to end up in a horrendous hell created by strangers.
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Park Chaeyoung | Rosé
Kudos: 10





	1. Prologue — Keyframe

**Author's Note:**

> hi! before we start, you should know that this is a thriller au and will contain topics like murder, disturbing thoughts, unhealthy relationships, etc. if you’re triggered by those topics, don’t read!  
> this au is based on the drama strangers from hell! i recommend it, but don’t watch yet if you don’t want spoilers for this story :(  
> also, this is an interactive au with polls on [twitter](https://twitter.com/aukjennie)! if you want to participate in the decisions, you have to read it there. the chapters will be posted here once the voting is over.

Jennie was late for class, _again_. A line of sweat glistened on her forehead as she rushed through the streets, huffing and cursing under her breath. _Ugh_ , she hated her life and deserved so much better, she had no doubts about that. She woke up early every day, went to school, went to work and only came back home late at night. With all that hard work, it was only fair that life rewarded her in some way. She definitely deserved better, especially when she still had to deal with her family.  
  


She loved her mom, she really did. But she hated how she spoiled her brother. He stayed at home all day, just eating and playing video games. _Useless bastard_. She couldn’t understand how someone could be so lazy and disgusting. And now she was late because he decided to use the bathroom before her, when he didn’t have anywhere else to be and knew that she did. She despised him.

  
Obviously, Jennie didn’t get to have breakfast at home, but she really needed the caffeine to get through the day—after exchanging hours of sleep for hours of study. She got off the crowded bus, relieved to breathe some fresh air and made a quick stop at a stall to buy coffee. She paid the old lady and rushed to get to the building just a block away now, but a hard push on her shoulder made her stop in her tracks. Her arm swung back and forth, making a cascade of hot coffee fall on her clothes.

  
“ _What the fuck?!_ ” she shouted, feeling the heat burning her skin. She quickly brought her free hand to hold her soggy shirt away from her belly. “ _Watch where you’re going!_ ”

  
This day was definitely cursed. Or maybe her whole life was. She felt like crying with rage. Why do people have to be so fucking stupid all the time? And why does she have to be the one suffering the consequences? The heat in her stomach made its way up her chest and head, boiling the blood inside her.

  
Her eyes met those of the girl in front of her, and despite the mess she made, she showed no reaction, which only made Jennie even angrier. Wouldn’t she at least apologize?  
  


“Aren’t you going to say anything? _Really?_ ” Jennie pressed _,_ taking a step closer. She kept staring at the girl, waiting for a reaction that failed to show up again. By then, she had already let go of the grip on her own shirt, no longer caring about its heat when there was a wave of fire spanning over her. “ _What the hell is your problem?_ ”  
  


The stranger didn’t seem impressed by Jennie’s tantrum, nor sorry for what happened, she just kept analyzing her with a straight face. _What an asshole, I could make her pay the same way_ , Jennie thought as her eyes narrowed to her hand, her grip kneading the cup. She always had a short fuse that she struggled to control, it was like there was a bomb inside her always ready to explode.  
  


A loud horn snapped her out of her obscure daze, reminding her that she had no time to waste. She bottled up her anger inside again and forced herself to walk away. Turning to take one last look at the stranger, she swore she could see her smiling.  
  


Throughout the next four years of college, all her days went the same.  
  


_School. Work. Home.  
  
_

Hours dragging on for far too long, Jennie didn’t know how she managed to survive. It was boring and exhausting, and it definitely wasn’t living, but she had no other choice. She had to work if she wanted to have food on the table every day, and she needed to graduate if she wanted to get a good job later—one that would allow her to finally leave her mother’s house. During that period, she found comfort in writing. It was a hobby that helped her escape reality for a bit, sometimes she even dreamed of writing a novel.  
  


While still studying, Jennie had tried to find an internship to learn more and start her career, with no luck whatsoever. Now with a degree in hands, she spend her mornings applying to every job opening she could find online. She had to get something. After a few interviews that didn’t result in anything, she began to feel that she would never succeed, that she might be doomed to fail.  
  


On a particular rainy morning, Jennie regained a bit of hope when a job offer popped up in her inbox. It was none of the companies she’d applied for, which was surprising. Why suddenly there was a company interested in her she didn’t know—she had no experience and her resume wasn’t impressive at all—but she didn’t really care either. Luck was knocking on her door for the first time, of course she would take it.  
  


With just a single phone call interview the next morning, it was settled. They really wanted her for the job. She’d have a life of her own now, away from people who just delayed her, and it was only a plus that this company was based in Seoul—she’d have to move to the same city where her girlfriend lived. _Perfect_.  
  


Jennie rested her body on the chair, allowing her shoulders to relax after what felt like a long time. She couldn’t help the spark growing in her heart. It was happening. She’d be free. She’d finally escape this hell.  
  


Or so she thought.


	2. Sonder

Life was quick to throw cold water on Jennie. Once she saw the price of ranting an apartment in Seoul, she thought she’d have to take the next bus home. She was already visiting the sixth residence on the list of rooms for rent and the price was still too high for her, especially when they asked for key money. Only when she got to the bottom of the list—after hours of walking around the crowded city with a heavy suitcase—did she finally find a place that matched her budget.  
  


As if she wasn’t too tired already, she faced an endless staircase to reach the residence. At that moment, she considered going back. How could she live in such a difficult place to reach? She exhaled deeply and shook off the thought. She had no other option, there was no turning back now.  
  


 _Eden Residence_ , the sign read. Jennie looked at the address on her phone again, third floor. _Third floor? More flights of stairs?_ _Are you fucking kidding?  
  
_

When Jennie reached the third floor, sweating and panting, she came a cross an open door and made her way in. It was quiet, hot and dimly lit—very different from the other residences she visited. She walked further in, slowly—as if afraid to break the silence—and analyzed the place. The walls were stained with mold, the floor not so clean and the poor decor not so friendly. On a wall, she spotted a sign with prices. _What? That can’t be right…_ The atmosphere seemed thicker with each passing second and her eyes looked around for any sign of life as a strange feeling of dread consumed her to be alone there. She was almost going back out when a voice called her.  
  


“Hey!” said the woman coming out of the first door of the long corridor. “Can I help you?”  
  


“Oh, hey!” Jennie quickly replied, turning around to face the woman. “Yeah, I’m looking for a room to rent.”  
  


“Of course,” the woman nodded, acknowledging the obvious answer. “Was it hard to get here? You’re sweating.”  
  


“Um, kinda… I walked a lot today.” Jennie said, a little embarrassed by the woman’s remark. “Is the price on the sign right?”  
  


The woman entered the room again—which appeared to be her office—and Jennie could hear the sound of liquid being poured. “It is, yes.” she answered, offering Jennie a disposable cup. “Here, have some water.”  
  


“Thank you.” Jennie drank the water and returned the cup.  
  


“Come, I’ll show you the room.” the woman grabbed a key inside the office and guided her down the hall. “What’s your name again?”  
  


“Jennie.”  
  


“I’m Wendy.” she stopped in front of a door and slid the key into the knob, “Here, this is the room.”  
  


Jennie looked at the numbers on the door, _313_. When they slid aside with the door, she felt like she was entering a cell. It was small, _really small_ , and no better than on the outside—there was a bed, a desk and, of course, the mold. She looked around, considering the possibility of living in a place like that. It was by far the worst room she’d seen that day, but the price… It was really tempting, to the point of being suspicious.  
  


“Hey, um… If you don’t mind me asking, why is it so cheap? Sorry, it’s just that it’s very off from the other places I’ve seen.”  
  


Wendy stammered for a moment, “Okay, I’ll tell you this because I don’t want to deceive you. A person who lived here committed suicide.” she saw Jennie’s eyes widen and clarified, “It wasn’t in this room, don’t worry! But you know, people talk, so that’s why.”  
  


“I see…” as Jennie took a step back into the hall again, she bumped into someone.  
  


“Don’t block the way, idiot!” the girl snapped, looking contemptuously at Jennie.  
  


“Hey, no need to be rude!” Wendy talked back.  
  


“Fix the damn AC, it’s a fucking oven in here.” the girl intoned before disappearing down the hall.  
  


“Why is she like that? My god, she’s getting on my nerves.” Wendy complained. “I’m sorry, that’s Seulgi, our worst resident. But don’t worry, she’ll be leaving soon.”  
  


Jennie only nodded—a little uneasy by the other resident’s manner—and followed Wendy back to the office. Walking down the dark corridor, a strange feeling that she was being watched hit her, but when she turned around, there was no one there.  
  


Coming to the conclusion that she wouldn’t be able to find any better, Jennie rented the room. She’d only stay there for a while until she managed to save some money and move out anyway. It wasn’t that bad, right? It was better than going home, at least.  
  


After a brief introduction to how things worked there—shared bathroom, kitchen down the hall, rooftop on the fifth floor and so on—Jennie got the keys and headed to her room. Fumbling with the lock that wouldn’t open, she felt a presence and looked back, “Hey…” she timidly greeted the stranger at the door behind her. She began to feel uneasy when the tall brunette kept her under her gaze without saying a word, “Um, do you want to say something?” Jennie asked.  
  


The girl studied her from head to toe before entering the room again and slamming the door. _What’s wrong with her?  
  
_

A laugh caught Jennie’s attention from across the hall, “This isn’t your room.” another girl warned, cackling.  
  


Jennie looked at the number on the door, _312._ “Oh, you’re right.”  
  


“Yours is 313.” she walked over and reached out to greet Jennie, “I’m Momo.”  
  


The girl was pretty, Jennie noted, but something about the way she behaved was kind of _weird_. She acted childlike and her laugh was straight out of a horror movie.  
  


When Jennie was about to shake Momo’s hand, she noticed something between the girl’s fingers—it looked like… _blood and fur_? She swallowed and tried to sound nonchalant as she said, “Uh, I just came back from the street, my hand is dirty. But nice to meet you, I’m Jennie.”  
  


Momo just laughed—a sound that was starting to creep the hell out of Jennie—and went back down the hall.  
  


Inside her own room, Jennie took in her gloomy surroundings—a creaky bed, dusty pillow, stained walls and no windows. _I can do this, I can_ , she tried to reassure herself.  
  


***  
  


 _God, I could really use a cigarette right now_ , Jennie thought as she breathed fresh air on the rooftop, but trying to quit smoking, she decided to call Doyeon instead.  
  


“ _Jen?_ ” the sweet voice on the other end called.  
  


“Hey,” Jennie replied.  
  


“ _Hi, babe! Are you okay? Have you found a place?_ ”  
  


“Yeah, I just checked in.”  
  


“ _How is it?_ ”  
  


“Hmm, not so good, to be honest. The place is kinda… _old,_ ” Jennie tried to make it as light as possible, afraid of sounding too sensitive, “And the residents seem a bit weird.”  
  


“ _Why didn’t you go see other places?_ ”  
  


“I did, but I couldn’t afford anywhere else. It’s okay, though, I’ll only stay here until I save some money. Besides, it’s close to your apartment, so that’s a good thing.”  
  


“ _I’m so happy that we’ll get to see each other more often, I miss you._ ”  
  


“I miss you too, babe. By the way, are we going out tonight?”  
  


“ _Sorry, babe, my boss wants to have dinner with us._ ”  
  


“Ahh, I really needed to see you.” Jennie said in a pleading voice.  
  


“ _I’m sorry,_ ” she could feel her girlfriend pouting on the phone, “ _But we can go out tomorrow, okay?_ ”  
  


“Yeah, okay,” Jennie heard the sound of the door opening, and turned to see Wendy. ”I have to go now, babe, I’ll text you later.”  
  


“ _Okay, I love you._ ”  
  


“Love you too.”  
  


As soon as Jennie hung up, Wendy called her, “Hey, room 313! Jennie, right?” she continued after receiving a nod in response, “Did you like the rooftop?”  
  


“Yeah, the view is nice.”  
  


“I forgot to tell you, the fourth floor was for male residents, but it’s vacant now due to a fire, so don’t go in there, okay? You might get hurt.”  
  


Going back downstairs, Jennie passed the room of the strange girl who had stared at her earlier—room 302—and noticed that the door was open when something on the walls caught her eye. She went back to take a better look—while the stranger was busy at the desk with her back to the door—and saw that the walls were covered with pictures of blonde women. _Talk about a fetish… What a creep._ Jennie’s thoughts were cut off when the girl suddenly turned around and looked at her. Startled, Jennie rushed to her room.  
  


***  
  


Shortly past seven at night, after doing some basic cleaning in her room and unpacking her things, Jennie heard thumping noises coming from above. _Wasn’t the fourth floor vacant?_ She waited attentive, just to confirm that she wasn’t crazy, and then she heard it again. Intrigued, she decided to check it out for herself.  
  


Jennie headed to the staircase, hearing only the sound of her shoes against the floor. She walked up and stopped at the door to the fourth floor. _Eden Residence, 4th floor, Men Only,_ a sign on the door said. _Should I really be here?_ She wondered, but just shook off the thought and reached for the door handle.  
  


“You shouldn’t go in there,” warned a voice from the top of the stairs, amidst laughter.  
  


Jennie quickly recognized the stranger from the encounter earlier, _Momo_. “I heard some noises from up here…” Jennie explained, feeling like a child caught doing something wrong.  
  


“Noises? There was a fire a few months ago, no one lives there anymore.”  
  


“Yeah, but I heard some th—”  
  


“Did you hear _ghosts_? Oh my god, you heard ghosts, that’s scary!” Momo ran down the stairs, her creepy laugh echoing up the stairs.  
  


 _What’s so funny?_ Jennie wondered, a little annoyed. She stared at the big door again and then at her hand on the handle. She couldn’t help the fear suddenly building inside her and took her hand away. It was late and she was too tired anyway, maybe she should just mind her own business.  
  


Back on the third floor, Jennie grabbed a towel and headed to the bathroom. It was no better than the other rooms—not that she had any expectations—and much to her dismay, the sound of the running water alerted her that someone was there too. _Ah, shared bathroom… I get what I paid for, I guess_.  
  


Walking further in, after closing the door behind her, she was greeted with the back of a completely naked girl. _Uh, what are the curtains for?_ Taking a better look at her face, she noticed it was Momo. _Again_. A little uncomfortable and trying hard not to stare, Jennie went to the shower—among the two available, she chose the most distant from the girl, but ended up having to move on to the other when the water refused to spill there.  
  


When she was about to reach the curtain, Momo spoke, “Don’t even try, it might fall on your head. It’s stuck.”  
  


Jennie looked at her, a little suspicious, but decided to take her word for it instead of taking the risk and embarrassing herself, “Oh, okay…” she started to undress, trying to hide her breasts with her arms, while casting quick glances at the unbothered girl next to her. _God, what a hassle._ She decided to keep her panties on, although the other girl didn’t seem to mind. _She’s… serious now, a little less weird,_ Jennie noted _.  
  
_

When she was finished, hunger made its presence noted inside Jennie and she went to the kitchen to cook some ramen—she was too tired to go out and Wendy had told her they had ramen and kimchi there. Only after the first taste did she realize how much she needed to eat. It was a long stressful day, full of frustrations for sure, but she was no longer a child, she needed to learn to handle things on her own now. She’d get used to this place, she’d learn to live with these strangers, until she’d get herself out of that hole.  
  


Peace and quiet were interrupted by a heedless figure sitting across from her at the table, “You better be careful.”  
  


Jennie looked up. _Oh, the rude resident from earlier. Seulgi, was it?_ She swallowed the food and frowned, “What?”  
  


“Did you know that room 302 was watching you?”  
  


“Room 302?”  
  


“Yes, she was staring at you from the doorway just now.”  
  


Jennie looked over her shoulder at the door. _Room 302, that fucking creep, what’s her deal?  
  
_

“How old are you?” Seulgi asked, but quickly shook her head sideways, “Forget it, I don’t wanna know. Listen, you should get the hell out of here. Everyone who lives here is crazy, you shouldn’t mess with these people.” she warned. “I’m leaving next week, I’m done with this place.” Jennie listened in silence, too busy eating and not entirely sure if she should trust someone like that. “Oh and be careful of the girl next door.” she quickly got up and left the kitchen, leaving Jennie wondering what she meant. _Girl next door?_ She hasn’t met that one yet.  
  


After washing the dishes, Jennie walked back down the hall. Stopping to unlock the door, she was startled by the loud and now familiar laugh.  
  


“Why are you so shocked?” Momo asked, still laughing.  
  


 _Oh, she’s at it again_ , Jennie thought.  
  


“ _Hey, shut the fuck up, I’m trying to sleep here!_ ” Seulgi’s voice echoed from her closed door.  
  


“Sorry!” Momo shouted back, disappearing into the hall again.  
  


Jennie shook her head, annoyed, and when she was about to enter her room, she saw a silhouette out of the corner of her eye. _Oh, that creep from room 302 again_. She took a step back and looked at her. The tall brunette held her place with a deep gaze on Jennie, not even flinching. Jennie was full of it, her day had been stressful enough already and that creep had been trying to get under her skin all day long. Jennie couldn’t let anyone fuck with her like that.  
  


“What are you looking at?” Jennie asked. “I said, _what are you looking at?_ ” she eyed the other girl up and down, and something about her image disgusted Jennie. “If you have nothing to say, you better leave me alone, _creep_.”

  
Jennie went inside and slammed the door. Anxiety hit her and she couldn’t stay still, going back and forth in the small space she had, while trying to control her emotions. _Maybe I shouldn’t have done this, maybe I should’ve just ignored her_ , she thought as she remembered what Seulgi had told her in the kitchen. Were these people really dangerous? What did that girl want with her? It was only the first day, could she really live there? She knew nothing about them, she knew nothing about that place.  
  


After a few minutes of fighting her thoughts, she felt all her energy drained from her body and lay down. Exhausted, sleepiness got to her very quickly and deep into unconsciousness she went, not even dreaming that Joy—who she called the creep from room 302—was right behind her door, dwelling on something important while holding a knife in her hand: _should I kill her or not?_

  
Jennie opened her eyes, startled by the impression that the door handle had turned. _Did someone try to get in?_ Attentive, she slowly rose from the bed. She opened the door and stepped outside, into the dark, silent hall. She didn’t know what, but something drew her to the door on her left—room 312—and she allowed her body to move. The door was slightly open, not enough for Jennie to see inside, but enough to make her want to. When she pushed the door, the sight scared her. The walls of that room weren’t stained with mold, but with blood. Dread crept up her entire body and sounds of footsteps caught up to her in the hall. When she turned her head to see, Joy hit her with a hammer.

  
Jennie collapsed onto her bed and jolted awake. Her heart was beating fast—it felt so real, but it was just a nightmare. She had let them in on her head.

  
Before she could calm down, she heard a commotion outside.

  
“I know you came into my room, admit it!” she heard Seulgi screaming when she opened the door.

  
“Wanna bet your hand? I didn’t go in there.” Momo countered, trapped against the wall.

  
“Admit it, asshole!”

  
The loud laugh from across the hallway caught everyone’s attention. _What the fuck? There’s two of them?_ Jennie’s jaw dropped when she saw Momo standing there. She knew it was her, she’d introduced herself with that same laugh. But who the hell was the other one then?

  
“Is something going on?” Momo asked, cackling.

  
“You owe me a hand!” the other twin said with a grin.

  
“Ah, you fucking idiots are playing with me.” Seulgi complained, loosening her grip on the twin’s throat. She passed Jennie, heading towards Momo, but was stopped halfway when the door from room 314 opened and another girl stepped out. Jennie couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was—slender, long dark hair with bangs and big eyes.

  
“What’s going on?” she asked—and just the way she stood there, emanated power.

  
“Move.” Seulgi ordered.

  
“Calm down, we’re all neighbors here, aren’t we?”

  
“These idiots keep coming into my room!”

  
“Are you sure? Did you see them?” the girl asked with a smirk. “Momo, did you go into her room?”

  
“Why would I? I have my own room!”

  
Annoyed, Seulgi growled and brushed through the other girl to get to Momo. With a simple movement, the girl grabbed Seulgi’s wrist and stopped her. Her grip was so strong that their arms trembled.

  
She looked her in the eye, keeping her smirk, “I told you to calm down. We wouldn’t want to give the new girl a bad impression now, would we?”

  
Something about the way she said it, about the way the other residents looked pleased with the scene and about the way Seulgi’s eyes widened in fear, made Jennie wince.

  
Was that the girl Seulgi warned Jennie about?


	3. Nighthawk

Jennie was scared. In her twenty-five years, she had always lived with her family, she didn’t know what to expect from strangers now. Were they really dangerous or just weird? She was happy to finally move out, but it was not how she imagined it would be. She always pictured herself living alone in a neat, cozy apartment—not stuck with strangers in a filthy, cramped place.

“Apologize.” the girl from room 314 told Momo. “People get the wrong idea because you go around laughing like that. Stop disturbing the other residents.”

“I’m sorry!”

“So, can you accept her apologies?”

Seulgi shook her head and turned to go back to her room, “I know you’re all together.”

“What—” before she could finish, Seulgi slammed the door. “You two go to sleep, you’ve already caused enough trouble for tonight.” she addressed the twins.

Jennie watched curiously how they obeyed her. She wondered for how long they lived there. When everyone dispersed, she thought she’d do the same.

“Hey,” the girl called when Jennie was about to go back inside. “We haven’t met yet.”

Jennie stopped and looked back, feeling a little apprehensive, “Yeah, I just moved in…”

“I’m Lisa.” she said with a smirk.

“Jennie.”

“I’m sorry for that mess.” Lisa said and Jennie only nodded, “Wanna go have a smoke?”

“Hmm... ” Jennie pondered with red flags in her head, but took it as an opportunity to see for herself and draw her own conclusions, “I guess I could use a cigarette right now.”

At that, Jennie saw Lisa’s big smile for the first time—which almost made all her worries go away. She looked innocent, harmless.

Albeit wanting to give the benefit of the doubt, Jennie couldn’t evade the fear that crept over her when she found herself alone with the girl climbing the silent staircase to the roof. Why did she agree to this again? She could be walking to a trap, as far as she knew. She shouldn’t be alone with a suspicious stranger, especially so late at night when no one else was awake.

Jennie’s worries flew out with the wind when they reached the top of the stairs and Lisa opened the door. She took a breath of fresh air and enjoyed the view. Maybe she was just paranoid, she had no actual reason to doubt that girl. Yes, she was kind of menacing towards Seulgi, but she was defending someone. Maybe Seulgi was the one to be afraid of.

Lisa took two cigarettes out of the pack and passed one to Jennie. She lit up her own, before taking the lighter up to the one in Jennie’s mouth.

“So,” Lisa started. “Why did you move here?”  
  


Jennie swallowed the hot smoke into her lungs, held it for a few seconds and breathed it out. So much for trying to quit smoking, only to blow it in the first day of her so-called new life. Nothing was going as she planned anyway, why not enjoy some of it? At least the bad habit served her something—the much needed sensation of going numb. She felt relieved.

“I got a job here in Seoul,” Jennie replied looking at the view. “And well, that’s the only place I could afford. Why are _you_ here?”

Lisa chuckled at the backfired question, sensing Jennie’s trepidation. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… the way you spoke to them back there gave me the impression that you must be living here for a while, and no offense, but… why would anyone actually live here?”

“So, I see that you already want to leave.”

Jennie took another drag while dwelling on how to answer. Was it okay to share her thoughts about this place with Lisa? Should she pretend not to be bothered by the poor accommodations or the weird people here? She blew out the smoke and decided it was okay to comment on it, as long as she kept it vague. It wasn’t like anyone should be surprised by what she’d noticed in a single day, after all. “Well, it’s not very comfortable here… but you didn’t answer my question.”

Lisa allowed her grin to appear again as she studied Jennie’s features, which left Jennie confused as to why she kept looking at her like that. It didn’t come off as sympathetic as the big smile did. “I’ve been living here for almost two years now. It’s not that bad after some time.” she answered after blowing out the smoke.

“But _why_?”

Jennie didn’t miss how Lisa’s smirk switched to an uncomfortable expression for a split second before she looked away to the buildings in front of them, deep in thought. Was this a sensitive issue for her? Was Jennie being inconvenient?

“When you enter that hallway,” Lisa spoke up, her tone cold and her gaze still far away, “Doesn’t it feel like you’re in a long tunnel that you’ll never escape?”

Jennie winced at the odd comment, confused and alert at the same time. _What is she talking about?_ “No, I will escape.” she said suddenly feeling defensive, even though she wasn’t sure what she meant exactly.

Lisa emptied her lungs and turned to Jennie again, “Don’t worry, you’ll grow very fondly of this place. I’m sure of it.”

And then again, Jennie felt the dread. Although the girl spoke with a smile, not a single word seemed sympathetic in Jennie’s judgment. Why did she avoid her question? And why did she say those things? Jennie wanted to know, but her will to get out of there was louder now.

She filled her lungs with the last puff while still under Lisa’s strange gaze and then crushed the lit end of the cigarette on the short wall in front of them. “I gotta go to sleep, I’m up early tomorrow.”

“Sleep tight.” Lisa said as Jennie rushed her way inside.

The next morning, Jennie got up early enough to have the shower all to herself. It was her first day at work, so she woke up with a lot of motivation to put an effort on her looks. She put on the clothes she had carefully picked before going to bed, fixed her hair and put on a natural looking make-up.

Needless to say that she was anxious. She had never had a real job before, her only work experience was at her mother’s store—which didn’t really count for her. If anything, she wanted to at least look professional and give them a good first impression.

After checking herself one last time in the small hand mirror, Jennie took her bag and locked the room. Walking down the hallway, she could hear Wendy talking to someone at the entrance of the floor.

“…thirteen dead cats, so we need to take her to the station.”

Jennie frowned when she reached the source of the eerie comment and the voice gave image to a police officer. _As if this place wasn’t shady enough already…_

“Jennie!” Wendy greeted. “Are you going to work?”

“Yes.” Jennie replied and greeted the two women with a shy nod, which the officer reciprocated.

“I heard about what happened last night,” Wendy started, placing a hand on Jennie’s arm. “I’m sorry, I promise you it’s not always like that.”

“I get it, it’s a lot of people living together…” Jennie tried to play it cool, although the fight did scare her a little bit.

“But don’t worry, that girl just told me that she’s leaving. We’ll have some peace now.” Wendy assured her with a friendly smile.

“Oh, okay…” Jennie forced a smile back, but something about that information bothered her—Seulgi had just told her last night that she’d be leaving in a week, not in a day. _Well, maybe she changed her mind after the fight?_

“There are only good people here now.” Wendy said at last.

Jennie wanted to know more about the wherefore of the police visit, but since she needed to go to work she neglected her curiosity and refrained herself to a simple nod before heading out.

Jennie was in a hurry. Not that she was late, but she wanted to avoid just that at all costs since it was her very first day at work. So she couldn’t help her eyes from rolling to the back of her head when she was stopped once again.

“Hey,” a voice called from a corner when she got to the bottom of the long staircase on the street. “Going to work?”

“Uh, yeah.”

It was a hot summer morning and Jennie felt suffocated to see Lisa in a long-sleeved button-up shirt—although the girl seemed comfortable with it. She figured she was probably going to work too, since she had a briefcase in hand.

“Did you get a good night of sleep?” Lisa asked with her signature smirk.

“Yeah.” Jennie lied, in haste to cut the conversation short. “I need to get going, have a nice day.”

Lisa chuckled lightly, probably sensing Jennie’s anxiousness and nodded, “Enjoy it.”

With a bus and a little walk, Jennie arrived at the building indicated at the address she was given. Since she was still thirty minutes early, she took a moment to breath and try to calm herself a little. She hated first days, she hated feeling lost. Hopefully, people would be nice and she would make it through this day smoothly.

A vibration in her pocket caught her attention and she reached for her phone, seeing a message notification from Doyeon.

_Good luck on your first day babe <3_

Jennie smiled and quickly typed a reply to her girlfriend, gathering the courage to finally get in the building. She passed through reception and took the elevator to the seventh floor, where she walked around and stopped at a door with the logo of the company, _Red Roses Gallery_. She reached for the door handle to find it was locked. Seeing how early it was, she figured no one else had arrived yet and decided to just wait by the door.

Not long after, she heard the sound of high heels against the tiles approaching her. She straightened her posture and lifted her head to try and look presentable. _I got this_.

Jennie felt all her fake confidence already threatening to abandon her when her eyes caught sight of a tall blonde walking her way. She didn’t need high heels to tower over Jennie, yet she had them; her slim body wrapped on a tight long neck black shirt with tight black pants only accentuated her stature.

“Good morning.” the blonde said in a sweet yet intimidating voice.

Up close, Jennie felt overwhelmed by the woman’s perfume—a sublime expensive scent filling up her lungs and reverberating its effects on her brain. She was fazed.

“Morning,” Jennie answered lower than she intended to. She quickly cleared her throat hoping her voice wouldn’t betray her again, “I’m Jennie… Kim.”

The woman glanced down at her, her face expressionless while her eyes took in Jennie’s entire figure—and at that she knew her confidence was long gone.

“You’re early.” the woman simply said moving to the lock on the door.

Jennie stuttered, thinking of how to answer to that without sounding dumb. Was it a compliment or a criticism? Perhaps it was a mere observation, but it made her regret not waiting a little bit more outside before coming up. She could’ve even smoked a cigarette and maybe she wouldn’t be so nervous now.

After too many seconds had passed, Jennie decided to just leave that note in the air.

With her fingerprint and a password, the blonde managed to open the door and walked in. She didn’t say a word, but Jennie figured she should follow her in since she left the door open.

Jennie took in her surroundings as she entered in a slow pace. It was a tastefully decorated office—dark grey carpet and dark wallpaper covered walls, with some large paintings and the occasional green of plants in contrast. It had the size of a startup for no more than ten employees, which Jennie expected knowing that it was the headquarters of an art gallery—it probably didn’t need that much people to do the job.

The blonde stopped at the coffee machine in the corner of the room and Jennie took the moment to get a good look at her face for the first time—since she was too intimidated to do it when they talked. She seemed to be about the same age as Jennie, but something in the way she carried herself revealed her to be more experienced. Looking so intently, something itched in the back of Jennie’s head—she couldn’t remember seeing that woman before, but her face was familiar somehow.

Unexpectedly, while the blonde waited for the machine to serve her coffee, she turned her eyes and caught Jennie staring, making the brunette swerve her gaze in a not too subtle way. Fortunately, someone else arrived to save her from the embarrassment.

“Morning, Ms. Park.”

_Ms. Park? As in Park Chaeyoung?_ Jennie didn’t really know this company before she got the job offer, but of course she did her research afterwards. She knew Park Chaeyoung was the name of the CEO and owner. It made sense now for the way she walked like she owned the place, but it didn’t make sense for how young she looked.

Jennie cursed herself internally, going over just how much of a fucking good impression she must have given.

“Irene.” the CEO greeted, picking up her cup of coffee from the machine. “Take care of Jennie, please.” she said before sparing the daunted brunette a last glance and walking towards what it seemed to be her office.

Jennie knew that the day wouldn’t be as she hoped; in fact, it’d probably be just the opposite. Irene had shown Jennie her desk and that was about it. Jennie kept static in her place, barely breathing because it was kind of embarrassing to be there doing nothing while everyone else was working.

In addition to Irene, there were only two more employees: Suzy (whom Jennie knew from the phone interview) and Kai. In the small conversation they had to introduce themselves, they seemed friendly enough—unlike Irene, who didn’t even bother to make an introduction.

After an hour that truly felt like a lifetime, Jennie decided to take the first step and approach Irene, since she was the one designated to _take care_ of her. She couldn’t go another minute staring at the wall.

Jennie cleared her throat to make sure her voice would come out nicely and turned to Irene at the desk just next to her, “Hey… hm… Ms. Bae,” she called, receiving no more than a glance in return. “Is there anything that I can help you with?”

An uncomfortable silence settled in as Irene ignored Jennie’s question and finished typing an email. Jennie’s eyes traveled from the woman’s face to the computer screen and then to her face again, as she felt her own cheeks flush with embarrassment with each passing second.

When she was ready to turn around, certain that her words had just traveled from one ear to the other, Irene granted her the privilege of an answer, “You can make me a coffee.”

Jennie’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. This was definitely not the answer she expected. Making coffee wasn’t really in the job description, but her current situation was so uncomfortable that she figured this was better than just sitting there anyway. Furthermore, she wouldn’t have the audacity to confront anyone on her first day at work.

“Uh, yeah… sure!” she replied and made her way to the coffee machine.

When Jennie returned with the coffee, she didn’t receive a thank you—which didn’t even surprise her—, but at least now her desk had a laptop on it. She felt relieved that maybe now she would be actually useful.

Irene sipped on her hot beverage while Jennie got comfortable on her seat again. “We have an art exhibit next month, write a press release. You’ll find the information you need on your email.” she commanded while her eyes only made contact with the screen in front of her.

Jennie waited a few seconds, but apparently that was all for the briefing and she wouldn’t dare ask for more, she wanted to seem competent. “Okay, got it.”

Irene placed the mug on the desk and finally turned her head to look at Jennie, “Ms. Park said you were smart. Let’s see if you live up to her expectations.” she complemented, daringly.

Jennie froze. She’d be mad at Irene’s arrogance, if she wasn’t busy trying to process the information. _Ms. Park said what?_ How would she even know anything about Jennie? Okay, she signed her contract and it’s a small company so she must’ve checked her resume before making the decision to hire her… but to say something like that? They haven’t even talked yet—besides this morning’s fiasco, which couldn’t be considered a conversation. So, why would Park Chaeyoung say such a thing? _Maybe she’s just trying to put some pressure on me_ , Jennie thought as she studied Irene’s blank expression.

That being the most reasonable conclusion she could come up with, she decided to save the energy to focus on the job. If it was to put some pressure on her or not, Jennie knew she’d have to prove her value there. Irene clearly wouldn’t cut her any slack.

The first half of the day went painfully slow as Jennie squeezed her brain to try to get something decent out of it, but every time she typed something, her middle finger were quick to tap back space. _Fuck, I’m actually useless._

Now having lunch with Irene, Suzy and Kai, Jennie just tried to clear her head a bit and maybe the inspiration would come with the food. She also figured that the CEO probably didn’t usually have lunch with them, since no one bothered to knock on her door and ask her—which Jennie was grateful for because she probably wouldn’t be able to relax in her presence.

“So, Jennie,” Suzy started after chewing the salad and making it disappear in her throat. “You mentioned writing was a passion to you in the interview, do you write stories or something like that?”

Jennie didn’t feel so comfortable talking about that hobby of hers, she wouldn’t even dare to name it in any other way that could make it look more serious. Most people didn’t take it seriously—they either thought it was something stupid to waste time on, or treated it like some kind of child’s dream—, so she just liked to omit that part of her life. But unfortunately, she let it slip in the interview when she had nothing left to make her look interesting enough.

“Yeah, umm… I’m kind of working on a novel, but it’s just a hobby, really.” she said sheepishly, praying that the matter would trail off and she’d stay off the hook.

“Oh, really!?” Suzy said enthusiastically.

“What’s it about?” Kai asked, much to Jennie’s despair.

Jennie busied her mouth with a bite of food while trying to find a way to deflect the question. She really didn’t feel like sharing the world inside her head with those people just yet—she probably never would, if we’re being honest.

“Everyone and their mother wants to write a novel these days.” Irene, who seemed to be alien to the conversation until this point, decided to comment on it. “It’s not that easy.”

“Yeah, I know.” _Your point?_ Jennie wanted to ask. Apparently, Irene just enjoyed being blatantly rude.

“You need to experience real things before you can come up with an actual worth reading story.” Irene continued as Jennie’s blood started to get excessively hot with each word that came out of her mouth. “People don’t seem to realize that there’s more to a good book than just beautiful meaningless words thrown on paper. It really isn’t for everyone—”

In the heat of the moment, Jennie rose from her chair and threw a glass on the floor, making the older woman’s presumptuous words come to a halt. Jennie slowly walked to the other side of the table and looked down at her, “Who do you think you are to lecture me?”

Of course she did all that only in her mind. In reality, she kept listening until Irene finished, while nodding her head and looking at the tasteless food on her plate. She was fed up already.

The second half of the day was no better than the first, with the exception that now that it was over, she was really free and could have a good time with the only person that mattered—her girlfriend. She couldn’t concentrate to write the press release, but Irene didn’t question her about it, so she’d get to it the next day.

As soon as Jennie stepped out of the building, she heard the notification alert in her pocket and took her phone out. She let out a big sigh when she read the message. This day really wasn’t it.

_Sorry babe, can’t make it tonight._

_Have to work late. Rain check? :(_

***

After getting off the bus, Jennie dragged herself slowly through the narrow streets, with no hurry to get to _that_ place. The more she stalled, the less she’d have to be there with those strangers. It had only been a day and she couldn’t take it anymore, she needed to find somewhere else to live.

As she walked, letting her gaze capture the surroundings, a stray cat in a dimly lit corner met her eyes. It was so cute and small, she couldn’t resist…

Jennie approached in slow steps, careful not to startle the kitten. “Hey, buddy.” she said quietly, crouching down. “Why are you here all alone? Where’s your mommy?” She reached out to pet the cat and smiled when it was receptive. As she felt his little body in her hand, she realized it was probably hungry, of course she had to do something about it.

Jennie made her way back to the convenience store around the block, looking for some cat food. When she returned, the kitten was still in the same place.

“I got something for you!” she announced in a cheerful voice, opening the can and placing it in front of the cat. “There you go.”

Jennie watched with satisfaction as the cat savored the food. Sadly enough, that was the highlight of her day, the only moment she felt good about herself. She didn’t have high expectations and yet she felt disappointed. Her first day at work sucked, the people there were rude and when she thought she’d at least get to enjoy the evening and forget all that shit, her girlfriend canceled their plans. Now she had to go back to a place with weird people who were kind of scary. She felt as lonely as that cat.

With a sigh, Jennie got up and continued on her way home—as if she could call it that. When she reached the entrance, a man came down the stairs and stopped her.

“Hey, do you live here?” he asked and Jennie only nodded. She watched curiously as he took the wallet out of his back pocket. “Detective Jeon.” he announced, showing his identity.

Jennie looked closely to confirm the information and nodded again after reading his name. First the police officer, now a detective? _This place really stinks_.

“Do you know this person?” the detective asked again, now showing a picture on his phone.

Jennie took a look and quickly recognized that face. It was Seulgi. “Uh, I just moved in yesterday, but I talked to her a bit…” she replied, unsure of how to phrase it, since she didn’t know yet what this was about.

“I see.” he shook his head and his eyebrows furrowed as he continued the questionnaire, “Did you find anything out of the ordinary when you two talked? Did she seem upset about something?”

“Sorry, did something happen to her?” Jennie asked. She needed to know what was going on if she was getting involved.

“Why’d you ask that?”

“Uh… a detective is here looking for her…” she replied as if it was obvious.

“Right… she’s actually on the wanted list, but she called asking for help.”

“ _What?_ ”

Jennie was taken aback by this information. Seulgi’s on the wanted list? _So I talked to someone on the wanted list? And why would someone on the wanted list call the police for help? What the—_

“She said someone was trying to kill her.” he continued, noticing Jennie’s confusion. “So, do you remember anything?”

“Uh…” Jennie stammered as she tried to get her head straight. It was a lot to process, but she tried to remember what she could, “She didn’t seem to get along with the other people here... They had some sort of fight yesterday, but that’s all I know.”

The detective took a piece of paper out of his wallet and offered it to Jennie, “Can I give you my card? Just in case you remember anything else.”

She took it in her hands and examined it, “Yeah… sure.”

“Have a good night!” he said at last, already crossing the street.

_A good night_ … The concept seemed very far from reality now that Jennie had taken the first steps up to Eden.

***

When Jennie finally let her body rest on the not-so-comfortable bed, a wrong move made her phone fall into the space between the bed and the wall. With a loud sigh and a curse to herself, she bent down beside the bed to look underneath. She spotted the device next to what appeared to be a notebook. With a stretch of her arm, she pulled out both items.

Jennie sat down on the bed, made sure her phone was intact with a quick inspection and went on to what she was really curious about. _Is that from the former resident?_

She flipped through the first few pages, it seemed normal… just entries from the day, like a diary:

_Ugh, I had to work late again._ _So tired!_

_But I just have to remember I have a purpose and it’s all gonna be worth it._

However, as she flipped through more, the normal entries were making room for strange notes scrawled:

_I’m being watched_

_I think they’re after me_

Jennie gulped and felt a shiver run down her spine when her eyes met the repetitive word over and over again covering entire pages:

_DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE…_


End file.
